Farmers fight back against swarming locusts in Israel

Young locusts hop across the desert sand in the Negev Desert in Israel on May 12, 2013.

Dave Copeland / NBC News

A locust perches atop a lavender bush on an organic farm.

Dave Copeland / NBC News

Damaged grapes in a vineyard, with a volunteer working to protect the remaining crop.

Dave Copeland / NBC News

Damaged passion fruit plants on an organic farm.

Dave Copeland / NBC News

Golan Cohen, owner of an organic herb farm in the Negev, speaks to a group of volunteer workers who have come to help him protect his remaining crops from locusts.

Dave Copeland / NBC News

An NBC News video camera receiving the attention of young locusts.

Dave Copeland / NBC News

A Bedouin man points to locusts attacking bales of hay on his farm.

Dave Copeland / NBC News

Young locusts are seen on netting on an organic farm.

Dave Copeland / NBC News

Dead locusts lie under a bush after being sprayed with pesticide.

By Dave Copeland, Cameraman, NBC News

Teams of exterminators are working from sunrise to sunset, spraying the millions of young locusts as they march across Israel, devouring everything in their path. NBC News' Dave Copeland visited the front line in the battle against the bugs.

Huge swarms of the newly hatched critters have begun marching across the sand, devouring everything in their path.

With the help of high-tech irrigation methods, much of Israel’s desert has been transformed into lush farmland that supplies supermarkets across the country with fresh produce. But the swarm of locusts, which locals say is the worst infestation in decades, is threatening crops and farms. Read the full story.